I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 498 - 253 Shen Guofu: It’s strange, the kitchen has been making my favorite dishes all day! [Subscribe please]

Chapter 498: Chapter 253 Shen Guofu: It’s strange, the kitchen has been making my favorite dishes all day! [Subscribe please]

"Senior Brother, do chive stalks also have a kidney-nourishing effect?"

Lin Xu had figured it out; every ingredient Mr. Huang had sent over seemed to possess unique properties, all aimed at energizing middle-aged men.

Xie Baomin said, "Chive stalks are the essence of chives. Their main function is to nourish kidney qi. Sufficient kidney qi provides more energy—it’s all interconnected."

Wow! Senior Brother should just go sell health supplements. With that kind of theoretical knowledge, he’d probably become an instant confidant to all those seniors. Who would have thought that the distinguished head chef of the State Banquet at Fishing Platform was actually a health supplement marketing genius, waylaid by his culinary career?

After taking out the chive stalks, Lin Xu saw his Senior Brother take out a small bag of what looked like tiny scallops.

"These are mussels," Xie Baomin clarified. "Very good for the body. Combined with chive stalks, they’re simply unbeatable! Let me tell you, this is a health dish I eat every week. Otherwise, do you think my physique would be this strong?"

Lin Xu was momentarily stunned. I really don’t think you’re *that* strong, Senior Brother. Such blatant self-praise always felt counterproductive, like an anti-advertisement.

However, speaking of the dish itself, it should taste excellent. Fresh small mussels are naturally very flavorful, and chive stalks also have a rich umami. Seafood paired with the umami of plants—double the freshness, double the deliciousness.

As for the health benefits my Senior Brother boasted about... that’s not something I need to worry about at my age. With my special abilities, a single night’s sleep erases all fatigue. Who needs dietary therapy? 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Xie Baomin poured the mussels out and, with a small knife, deftly pried open the mussel shells, quickly extracting the edible meat.

Not all parts of a mussel are edible. The internal organs and excretory parts must be removed; only the remaining meat can be eaten.

"These mussels may look small, but their meat is very tender. A quick stir-fry is all it takes to cook them through, no blanching needed. If you buy frozen mussel meat from the market, it’s safer to blanch it first, just in case."

Xie Baomin explained the cooking method as he cleaned them.

After all the mussel meat was extracted, he rinsed it with fresh water and then placed it in a colander to drain.

Next, he took the chive stalks, rinsed them thoroughly with water, trimmed off and discarded the slightly tougher root ends, and then cut the remainder into inch-long sections, placing them in the colander.

With all preparations complete, he began to get the seasonings ready for the dish.

The seasonings were simple: a little minced ginger and garlic to counteract any fishiness, and some red pepper strips for color. Nothing else was needed.

After preparing the ingredients, he set up a wok. First, he seasoned the wok, then added a bit of vegetable oil and a touch of lard.

Mussels and chives are both umami-rich ingredients, so adding a little lard enhances the dish’s rich texture, making it even more delicious.

Once the oil was hot, he added the minced ginger and garlic and stir-fried until fragrant.

Next, he tossed in the mussel meat, stir-frying it on high heat for ten seconds. This helped to cook off some of the mussels’ moisture, intensifying their umami flavor.

Then, he swirled in cooking wine and Light Soy Sauce along the edge of the wok. After stir-frying to evenly coat the mussels with the seasonings, he added the chive stalks and red pepper strips, along with a small spoonful of salt for seasoning and a few granules of sugar. He continued to stir-fry.

Although chive stalks and chives are very similar, their cooking methods differ slightly.

Chives cook almost as soon as they hit the wok; if not removed quickly, they release liquid, making the dish watery. Thus, preventing chives from becoming watery is a key culinary focus for chive-based dishes.

Chive stalks, however, are cylindrical or quadrangular and take longer to cook than chives, despite also having a high moisture content.

Therefore, when cooking this ingredient, you can’t just toss it in the wok and immediately take it out as you would with chives. It requires continuous stir-frying over high heat to ensure the dish remains crisp and tender without becoming watery.

Stir-fry vigorously for over thirty seconds. When the surface of the chive stalks in the wok looks coated in oil and their fresh aroma intensifies, it’s time to remove them from the wok and plate them.

"This dish is simple to make and tastes fresh and fragrant. You should practice it more when you’re not busy, junior."

After plating the dish, Xie Baomin didn’t eat it immediately, nor did he have it sent up to the private room for the guests. Instead, using this dish as an example, he began to explain the key points of stir-frying to Lin Xu.

"When pairing seafood with green vegetables, adding a bit of lard can produce unexpectedly good results. Also, don’t salt the green vegetables before they go into the wok. Seafood itself has a natural saltiness, and adding salt too early can make the meat tough."

Lin Xu nodded. I can try making this for my father-in-law next time. Even if it’s not perfect, he won’t mind. After all, for middle-aged men, the kidney-enhancing and waist-strengthening benefits are often more important than the taste. That’s the top priority.

After explaining the key points of preparation, Xie Baomin added another reminder, "This dish should be eaten all at once. Don’t leave any leftovers, and don’t let it get cold. Otherwise, the fishy taste of the mussels will emerge, and both the flavor and texture will be greatly compromised."

"Alright, Senior Brother, I’ve noted it down."

As the two of them were chatting, Shen Guofu returned to the kitchen.

"It’s tough being a man! The moment they heard that Okra has beautifying and skin-nourishing effects, my wife, daughter, and niece pushed me aside and wouldn’t let me have a taste... Huh? Are these chive stalks? Oh, this is great stuff! I’ll take this and try it first."

He wasn’t aware of the guests being entertained upstairs. He assumed the two "brothers" were preparing dinner for him.

So, without any ceremony, he picked up the freshly cooked plate of Stir-fried Chive Stalks with Mussels and walked off with it. As he was leaving, he even called out for Xie Baomin to join him for a drink.

Walking out of the kitchen, Guofu muttered softly to himself: